Dr. Michael L. Owens shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Michael L., it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day consists of setting my day. I normally get up and make me a cup of coffee, then I will go to YouTube to find me and inspirational message or catch up on a sermon series to set my heart and spirit. I then go walking for one hour on the trails in my neighborhood about 3.5 miles to get my cardio going. Once that’s completed I rest for a moment and then start catching up on emails and text messages. Then from there I create daily to do list and start knocking out things based off of priority for the day. I am a pretty fluid leader and have a hard time staying on one task as my mind shifts around but I still get things done.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Michael Owens, and I have the honor of serving as the Senior Pastor of THE ALTAR ATL Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Beyond leading our church, I am passionate about equipping leaders and creating spaces where revival, authentic worship, and generational impact can thrive. I am also very passionate about helping people discover and walk in their purpose. I train leaders full time and travel extensively nationally and internationally speaking, teaching and consulting.
What makes my story and brand unique is the heartbeat behind everything we do, we exist to ignite a passion for God’s presence while raising up leaders who will influence culture and reach the next generation or simply stand as a creative thought leader who authentically wants to make impact. Through initiatives like Owenspire Leadership, The One Alliance Leadership Network, our new church plant in Dayton, Ohio, and the upcoming One Alliance Leadership Conference: A Revival in Leadership, we are building a movement that empowers pastors, leaders, and everyday people to live with fire, purpose, and influence.
At THE ALTAR ATL church we embrace creativity, excellence, and a spirit of collaboration. Our gatherings are more than services; they are encounters with God that shape lives. Our network of ministries and conferences extends this vision outward, creating opportunities for people to experience dynamic worship and a life changing message. We have locations in Atlanta, Orlando, Dayton Ohio and Kampala Uganda East Africa.
Currently, I’m focused on leading the One Alliance Leadership Gathering, where hundreds of leaders from across the nation will unite to rediscover their passion for leading and a special emphasis on reaching the next generation. We are also expanding The ALTAR brand into new cities while continuing to equip leaders with tools, teaching, and community to sustain long term impact.
In short, my mission is simple, to see revival burn in people, leaders, and communities so that the world sees Christ through us in a fresh, powerful way but creative way. I want to impact those that impact the next generation. I want people in the world and market place to see great leadership.
I am a young man who came from a single parent home, my father was in and out of my life, I dropped out of high school 3 months before i was supposed to graduate. I had my first child in my teen years. I wasn’t dumb or stupid, I just wasn’t focused and didn’t believe that anyone believed in me until I discovered purpose and people who began to speak life into me. I’m saying all of that to say that I didn’t allow my circumstances to stop what was possible for me. If you’re reading this please be encourage that you have purpose and a story to tell that will inspire many. I am a living example. I’m always overwhelmed with how my life has shaped up.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
When I was a child, I didn’t know where my life was headed. I was often unhappy and unsure of my purpose. At times, I believed I would always live in poverty, and other times I thought I might die young. My mom, a single parent, worked two jobs to provide for me and my two younger sisters. She is an amazing woman who did the best she could with what she had naturally and emotionally. She wasn’t very expressive with her emotions because I don’t believe she knew how to do that and I don’t believe my grandmother was very emotionally expressive. I don’t remember my mom telling me she loved me as a child, I know now that she loves us deeply and now in my older years she’s very expressive with it. I tear up every time she says it.
As the only boy and the oldest, I had to grow up quickly to help my mom. By age seven, I was teaching myself how to cook, my earliest memories are of making pancakes, eggs, and cream of wheat, which was a staple in our home. At twelve, I got my first job cleaning a church to help ease the load at home. Looking back, I realize we were living in poverty, though I didn’t always recognize it then. There are even moments I’ve never shared openly until now: I remember climbing into the dumpster behind a KFC in Columbia, Missouri after closing time to retrieve discarded chicken. I would bring it home and pretend someone had given it to me so my family wouldn’t worry.
For a long time, I thought that was the life I was destined to live. I feared I would end up like my father, with multiple children by multiple women. But around age sixteen, I made a decision, that would not be my story. I chose to release the anger I carried toward my dad for not always being present, and that decision changed everything for me. Although my dad had his ways one thing I’m sure of is his love for me, in his latter years we grew more closer and I took care of him until he passed away. I learned that he only was doing what was modeled to him by his own father and I realized he showed me love in the way he knew how to show me love. Our relationship healed over time and for that I’m grateful.
I believe God has an answer for every void in your life. There are people God sends into your life who don’t just fill a gap, they become family by divine assignment. For me, that’s who Roger (dad) and Mildred (mom) Williams were. They were more than godparents; they were real parents to me in every sense of the word. From a teenage boy trying to find his way, they guided me with patience, love, and faith until I became the man I am today. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself, helping me earn my GED, pushing me to attend Bible college, and keeping my heart anchored in God when life could’ve easily pulled me off course. Their home was my safe place, their love healed wounds I never talked about, and their counsel became the steady voice that shaped my purpose. They gave me not only wisdom and covering but also a family through their amazing children, Mike my best friend and brother, Phil my lil bro, Teresa my sis, and Marit my sis, they all became my brothers and sisters for life. Both Roger and Mildred have now transitioned to heaven, but their legacy lives deeply in me, a legacy of love, strength, and spiritual grounding that continues to shape every part of who I am. They are my heart forever.
Today, I no longer believe the lies I once told myself as a child. I no longer believe I cannot be successful because I am. I no longer believe I cannot have a beautiful family because I do. I no longer believe I am unworthy of love because I am deeply loved. So many of the false beliefs I carried from my childhood have been replaced with truth, healing, and purpose.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
As a leader and as someone who works closely with people, I’ve experienced heartbreak and betrayal on many levels. I’ve also made mistakes that, in my immaturity as a leader, hurt others deeply. There were times when the pain felt so overwhelming that I wanted to give up and walk away.
Growing up without my dad being consistently present was one of my earliest and deepest wounds. I knew he loved me, but his absence left me angry, hurt, and struggling to trust men even into adulthood. Over the years, I’ve also been wounded by men I looked up to, which only reinforced my fears and damaged my confidence. On the other side, I’ve made my own mistakes and unintentionally hurt people I loved dearly. The weight of feeling like I failed them has left scars that I still carry.
If you are like me, your heart is never to intentionally hurt anyone. I love deeply, I care hard, and my intentions are always pure. But the reality is that both being hurt and hurting others have marked my journey in profound ways. These experiences, as painful as they were, have also become opportunities to learn, to grow, and to allow God to shape me into a better leader and a better man. Learning from others has been a great strength.
I’ve been intentional about healing. I’ve sought counseling, embraced personal growth, and chosen to see mistakes as teachers rather than final verdicts. I’ve also had to forgive because unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Forgiveness has been the pathway to my healing.
Today, I can say I’ve overcome many of the pains of my past. I forgave my father years ago. I’ve grown and adjusted as a leader so I can serve people more effectively. And while scars remain, they remind me not of my brokenness, but of how far I’ve come.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
A belief I am absolutely committed to is that revival in people and in leadership is possible and necessary for this generation. No matter how long it takes, I am dedicated to raising up leaders who are passionate about God’s presence, equipped to impact culture, and committed to reaching the next generation.
This isn’t just a project for me, it’s a lifelong assignment. Through THE ALTAR ATL, our expansion into new cities like Dayton, Ohio, and the One Alliance Leadership Conference, I’m building spaces where leaders and communities can be refreshed, resourced, and ignited. Even if it takes years, I will continue investing in people, creating environments of encounter, and building systems that empower leaders to sustain revival.
I also am passionate about creating a movement that impacts urban youth across the nation and world. If you look around the world there are no movements impacting urban young people filling stadiums. I desire to fill a stadium with urban young people and allow them to have an experience with God and people who care that transforms their lives.
I believe the investment is worth it because transformed leaders lead to transformed families, churches, and cities. I believe if we can impact young people we can change the future. That’s a vision I’ll carry for as long as it takes.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I am long gone, I pray the story people tell about me is one of legacy, love, and lasting impact. I hope they will say I raised up leaders who lived on assignment and on mission, transforming the lives of others in ways that went far beyond my own reach. More than titles, buildings, or accomplishments, I want my legacy to be measured in people those who discovered their purpose and walked boldly in it because of seeds I planted along the way.
I pray people will know how deeply I loved them and how much I truly cared. I want them to remember that I kept balance with my wife and children, and that no ministry or assignment ever became a mistress to my family. My family has always been my first line of ministry, though it took me years to fully understand that. I hope my children and grandchildren carry that same conviction, and that their lives speak louder about my legacy than any platform ever could.
I pray people will say I was resilient that I never gave up, even when life was hard. That I wasn’t a quitter but a fighter, and that my strength came from God alone. Above all, I want the story to be told that God was the greatest leader of my life, the true source of my vision, resilience, and love. If people can see Christ more clearly because of the way I lived, then I will have left behind the story I most want told.
At this stage of my life, I’ve come to understand that true success isn’t just about purpose, platforms, or accomplishments it’s about becoming the best version of myself for the people who matter most: my wife, my children, and my grandchildren. Family has to remain the greater priority, even while pursuing the call of God on my life. My greatest ministry begins at home, loving my wife well, being present for my children, and leaving a legacy that my grandchildren can look to with pride. I want my life and leadership to model consistency, integrity, and love to show them what it means to lead without losing family along the way. Becoming a great husband for my wife, a strong father for my children, and a pillar for my grandchildren isn’t just a goal; it’s a sacred assignment that I take to heart every single day and will pursue until my time expires on this planet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://OneAllianceConference.com
- Instagram: Owensempire
- Facebook: Mike Owens
